1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing method that uses ink jet recording to form an image on a non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording medium.
2. Related Art
Ink jet recording methods are printing methods in which recording is performed by causing small ink droplets to fly through the air and causing these droplets to adhere to a recording medium such as paper. With the recent innovative progress of ink jet recording technology, ink jet recording methods have been used even in a field of high-resolution image recording (printing) in which film photos and offset printing have been adopted. Thus, for example, one characteristic required for ink used for the ink jet recording methods is that small ink droplets can be discharged in a stable manner for a long time without disturbing the image.
In recent years, there has been a demand that an image is formed using ink jet recording on a non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording medium in addition to a high-ink-absorbing recording medium. As a printing method that uses ink jet recording to form an image on a non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording medium, JP-A-2000-44858 (Patent Document 1) discloses a method for printing an image on a hydrophobic base material with an ink including water, a glycol solvent, an insoluble coloring agent, a polymer dispersant, a silicon surfactant and a fluorinated surfactant, a water-insoluble graft copolymer binder, and N-methylpyrrolidone. Japanese Patent No. 3937170 (Patent Document 2) discloses a method for printing an image on a hydrophobic surface with an ink including a water-based emulsion polymer having a glass transition temperature of 40 to 80° C., a pigment, and a water-soluble surface agent selected from alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether, 2-pyrrole, N-methylpyrrolidone, and sulfolane. JP-A-2005-220352 (Patent Document 3) discloses an ink jet ink containing a polymer colloid for performing printing on a non-porous base material, the ink jet ink including a volatile co-solvent having a boiling point of 285° C. or less, acid-functionalized polymer colloid particles, and a pigment coloring agent.
JP-A-2004-195451 (Patent Document 4) discloses a composite including a water-based carrier, a humectant, a surfactant, and an addition polymer having an acid value of more than 110, as an overcoat composite for imparting high resistance to a printed image. Furthermore, the above-described Patent Document 1 discloses a printing method including a step of performing application using an overcoat composite obtained by removing a coloring agent from an ink composite.
However, since the non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording medium is a recording medium that does not have an ink absorbing layer or a recording medium that has a scarce ink absorbing layer, ink is not absorbed or is not easily absorbed compared with the case of printing on a high-ink-absorbing recording medium. Therefore, there is a problem in that the dried ink is easily detached due to abrasion.
To improve the abrasion resistance of dried ink, the amount of a coloring agent and a resin component in ink needs only to be increased. In this case, however, it is difficult to ensure discharge stability in high speed printing due to high ink viscosity. In addition, clogging in an ink jet head easily occurs. Therefore, the amount of a coloring agent and a resin component added to ink is limited in consideration of achieving high speed printing and preventing clogging in an ink jet head.